March 5th in Albany and Sacramento: Save higher education!

posted by Lana N. | 3pt
April 25, 2013

Yesterday was a mass day of action for students around the country, and March 5th will be another huge day in California and New York. If you're near Sacramento or Albany, join students to stand up for higher education and protest the growing burden of student debt. Check out our email below:

Dear friends,

Just yesterday, from Berkeley to Brooklyn, students across the country walked out of class and took to the streets to protest the growing burden of student debt and the assault on higher education.1

On March 5th, to top off a week of action around student debt, tens of thousands of students and allies will march on the capitals of California and New York, demanding relief from the shackles imposed by being thousands upon thousands of dollars in debt. Can you join students in Sacramento or Albany to show solidarity for higher education and demand relief for those struggling with student debt?

Higher education has historically been a vital component of the American Dream, and yet, for more and more Americans, going to college is out of reach. Student debt has officially topped credit card debt in the US, and total loans outstanding will hit $1 trillion for the first time in history during the next few months.2 This year, campuses in states around the country will face even more cuts -- in Pennsylvania, for example, the Governor has proposed 20% more in cuts to public universities. In California, the cost of attending a University of California has nearly tripled in the last decade.3

Average tuition has gone up nearly 3400% since the 1970s -- costs are out of control, increasing far faster than the rate of inflation.4 Classes are being cut, workers laid off, and students are piling on more and more debt to cover the costs of a college degree. Of those who do graduate, many are unable to find jobs to cover their monthly student loan bills.

The more people who show up in support of relieving student debt and prioritizing higher education, the more we can show our elected leaders that this is a huge issue. Can you help make the marches on Sacramento and Albany a big deal?